Coventry City fans appear divided on whether the Sky Blues should come back to the Ricoh on a temporary rent deal, rather than as owners.

As we reported on Wednesday , Coventry council chief executive Martin Reeves and finance director Chris West briefed fans on their hope the club might return as temporary tenants rather than groundsharing at Northampton for up to five years – without excluding future discussions over Ricoh ownership.

Neither council leader Ann Lucas or Joy Seppala, boss of Coventry City’s hedge fund owner’s Sisu, will disclose details of their private talks a fortnight ago, or state if they are still communicating.

Ms Seppala said in September the club will not return as tenants under Sisu, which wants freehold Ricoh ownership – or it will build a stadium in Warwickshire to “create value” and return on “£60million investment”.

Presenters Andy Powell and Joey Crone reported they found it “depressing” and “disheartening”, given news of the Lucas/Seppala “talks” had led to some optimism. Coun Lucas had previously publicly stated she would discuss Ricoh ownership with Ms Seppala.

Other fans remain opposed to any Ricoh sale to Sisu, while the main fans’ group, the Sky Blue Trust, has recently stated getting the club back to the Ricoh was the priority, and has called for both sides to discuss a Ricoh return without pre-conditions.

The Trust’s Jan Mokrzycki said: “No news about the talks is good news until one side comes out and says differently.”

Independent fans’ campaign Get Cov Back To The Ricoh, run by Rob Stevens and Stuart Cosgrove, issued a statement saying: “We are disappointed Martin Reeves and Chris West still expect the Sky Blues to return to the Ricoh Arena as tenants – the same broken relationship that has been such a financial stranglehold on the Sky Blues since before Sisu took over in 2007.

“This relationship has badly failed the club, the taxpayer and the city – as the city has now lost its proud club, which ought to be a great economic asset.

“Were the club to accept a rent deal, we would welcome the temporary return to the Ricoh as an alternative to groundsharing at Northampton. But we would not expect that to happen, and it is no solution.”

It called for urgent talks over stadium revenues and a sale to whoever owns the club, based on independent valuations.